Pew: Wealthiest Experience Big Boost In Post-Recession Worth

Some 93 percent of Americans saw their mean net worth fall in the first two years of the post-recession recovery, while the remaining 7 percent increased net worth by nearly a third, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.

The upper 7 percent (8 million households) had net worth above $836,033, and the 93 percent (111 million households) represented households whose worth was at or below that. Not all households among the 93 percent saw a decline in net worth, but the average declined for that group. Pew says:

"From 2009 to 2011, the mean wealth of the 8 million households in the more affluent group rose to an estimated $3,173,895 from an estimated $2,476,244, while the mean wealth of the 111 million households in the less affluent group fell to an estimated $133,817 from an estimated $139,896.

"These wide variances were driven by the fact that the stock and bond market rallied during the 2009 to 2011 period while the housing market remained flat."